Category Archives: hunting

Article – Gun Sales Surge, Buckzilla

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Gun Sales Surge: An Obama Bounce?

Smith & Wesson stock Friday was zooming, thanks to a stellar earnings report. The firearms maker also boosted its outlook for the rest of the year. Because of the strong business, its backlog of orders more than doubled from the same quarter last year, the company is concentrating on boosting production and building inventory.

“We are underserving the market at this moment, we all know that, and that’s a great opportunity going forward for us,” CEO James Debney said in a conference call with analysts.

And another gun maker, Sturm, Ruger & Co., also hit a milestone of sorts in terms of meeting consumer demand. It produced its one-millionth gun of the year…well ahead of last year’s pace.

This happens every election year. It goes in four stages:

  • Stage I – Before the election, in the months leading up to it, there’s a surge in purchasing
  • Stage II – Immediately before the election and afterwards there’s another surge
  • Stage III – As inauguration comes closer, theres another surge
  • Stage IV – Right after inauguration there’s another surge

Guys, this is as predictable as a Kennedy wife being cheated on. It happens every election, no matter who wins. Heck, if you’re the type who likes to speculate on markets, load up on guns, ammo and magazines and unload them right before the next presidential election…gold mine.

You and me, though….we’re all squared away so panic-buying urges don’t affect us, right? Right?

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Speaking of guns, I saw this monster on the way to the shop this morning:

Me and Nuke were taking our usual route down the alleys and this deer just made me stop in my tracks. They were a bit concerned about Nuke but he was pretty okay with them. Of course, I didnt get too close with the dog …that would be asking for trouble. Notice that he broke off one tine on his left side….that would have been 7 points on that side. Big rack on that sucker.

How come I never see these guys during hunting season when I’m prowling the woods with my PTR-91????

Blogs, cannery trip, ACR, seasonal

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Sadly, one of my favorite preparedness blogs has disappeared. No point listing which one it was, but it was quite easily one of my favorites as evidenced by the fact that the majority of the commenters were other bloggers as well. It was rather nice to see that same circle of people at the same location. I hope that even though his blog is apparently gone, the blogger himself might chime in from time to time to say howdy and comment.
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I’m jazzed! LDS cannery trip tomorrow. This will be my opportunity to fill in the gaps in a few ‘broken’ cases of stuff. Since each case holds six #10 cans, a case that has less than six in it is incomplete or ‘broken’. If you havent been to the LDS cannery, here’s an order form of what you can get and the pricing. Keep in mind that, usually, you cant just walk in and say “I’d like five cases of….”. No, no, no…you have to put in a bit of ‘sweat equity’. You get put into a group of other customers and you take part in the process…you might be the guy who fills the cans, or seals them, or fills them from the bags, or slaps the labels on them, or helps box up the finished one, but you have to take part in the canning process. If nothing else, it gives you an appreciation of how the stuff is packaged and gives you the skills to DIY if you wind up borrowing their portable canner unit. Sometimes when I see a pair of missionaries walking around I’ll offer to buy them lunch (or give them a ride) as a way of ‘paying back’ for letting me use their facilities. And, before anyone asks, no they don’t preach at you at these things. They start the whole process with a pretty non-denominational prayer and thats about all the preaching they do. After that, it’s all business and bunker-stocking. Good folks.
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Got to handle a Bushmaster ACR yesterday. Didnt get to shoot it but sure got to put my fingerprints all over one. Ambi bolt release, ambi charging handle, ambi selector, ambi mag release, quick change barrel, side folding stock, gas piston system…pretty cool gun. Also one of the most expensive guns I’ve ever ordered in for a customer at a shade under two grand. For that kind of money I could get two ARs and about 40 mags, 4 Glocks and a handful of mags, or a PTR-91 and 750 mags. The fella who got the gun said he’d let me know when he was going to go shoot it and that I could come along. Should be interesting.
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As I was walking to the shop this morning, I saw that the puddles on the ground had frozen over during the night. ‘Tis the begining of the cold season. Coincidentally, hunting season is now in swing. I need to check the zero on the PTR and get out there and show Bambi who sits at the top of the food chain around here.

Elections, hunting, bioweapon

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Election Day is done. I have mixed feelings.

At this point, Im not entirely sure that any change of faces in Washington can prevent or reverse the course we seem to be on. I’m more interested in what the lame duck politicians will do. For example, if some politician loses the election he knows that shortly thereafter he’s gonna have to pack up and go home. Sooooo…he gets a free pass to do whatever he wants with no repercussions. Its kind of like being serial killer. After you’ve killed a dozen people whats a few more?

I suppose that its possible that the outgoing politicians could be used to bring in legislation that would normally be politically toxic. Theyre already on their way out so why wouldn’t they bring up stuff that would normally be the political kiss of death?
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Deer hunting has, thus far, been unproductive. I’ve been out thrice and seen a few deer but nothing that wanted to sit still long enough to catch a bullet. Interestingly, according to the game folks, more elk are getting pulled out of the wood than deer. Go figure. Elk would be nice but I never really see any…mostly because Im just not willing to work that hard. Elk hunting requires some serious hiking and climbing…and then getting the thing out of the woods when you finally do get it can be a Herculean task. Its one of those things where you can shoot the beasty at 8am and finish dragging it out in the dark around 11pm. Its serious work.

I’m glad that, at this moment, we don’t actually need the meat. We have a good amount in the freezer and we can always buy more. I enjoy being out in the woods with a gun and bringing home an animal is icing on the meaty cake. Plus its always an excellent opportunity to try new gear.
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The bioweapon is progressing. He’s clocking in around 32# or so. He’s getting big enough that if he wants to go somewhere you need to plant your feet and grip the leash because he can exert some force. Fortunately he’s coming around on his training. Its very difficult to believe that just two months ago he was a little furball in a plastic crate sitting at the ticket counter at the airport yapping for his freedom. He’s gonna be a big dog. And a dangerous dog if we don’t raise him right. He’ll be around 80# with a set of sharp teeth and more than a little intelligence. Something like that needs to be under tight control and well disciplined if he’s going to be of any use to us as anything other than a liability and a food-to-poop machine. Ideally, his primary functions will be early warning and threat deterrence. He’s a wonderful puppy and we’re greatly attached to him but, in the final analysis, we have to remember that he’s just a dog. He’s expendable. He’s a one-shot fire-n-forget defensive tool for an insanely dangerous and violent circumstance. And, because he’s a dog, he’ll be gloriously happy to die defending the pack. Until that time, we pay him upfront by giving him the best life possible.

Hunting season

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Egads! I just discovered that big game gun season opens this Saturday. The first week of hunting season is like Beirut during the busy times…….lotsa guys prowling around with guns and the genuine chance for some friendly-fire (or not-so-friendly fire) incidents. However, the nice things about opening week is that it is usually either-sex, either-species of deer. So…your odds are better. “If it’s brown, knock it down”. So I have until the end of the week to get my gear set out. Not a problem, I’d been screwing around with the new Kifaru bag getting it ready and loading it up. I usually only stay out for the day but I like to be prepared in case I get off course and wind up having to spend the night. Whats the gear look like? Here’s a list off the top of my head:

MiniMag LED flashlight
Paracord
German surp poncho
Kifaru woobie poncho liner
Heatsheets bivvy sack [1]
Heatsheets blanket [1]
Esbit stove and tablets [2]
Vacuum-sealed package of matches, firestarter and firesteel. Usually a spare pack of waterproofed matches are I’m my pockets or elsewhere. Always prepare as if you’ll be separated from your gear and all you’ll have is what’s in your pockets.
Two hand flares
Glock knife
First aid kit with Israeli compress/trauma bandage and QuickClot
Compass
Whistle
Platypus hydration bladder – Im really liking the versatility of this. Replace the tube assembly with a cap and it becomes a soft water bottle.
Canteen cup
Waterproof paper and pen – (Because if I have to leave a note sayig where I am and where Im heading it would be nice if it was still legible after the morning frost.)
Cyalume light stick

And a few other odds and ends that escape me (like about 15′ of rope and a game hoist).

[1] = I am impressed with both of these products. They are light, compact and inexpensive. They take up virtually no space in my bag but are a ‘force multiplier’ when used in conjunction with the Woobie. The Heatsheets products block wind (rather important) and reflect heat but the layered with the Woobie underneath, the Woobie will provide a nice layer of insulation as well.

[2] = I need to work up a post about an amazing water bottle, cup, carrier, stove, fuel tab combo that I use that is the absolute shiznits for functionality. Later.

Basically, enough for me to construct a shelter, park a fire in front of it, climb into something warm and wait for search-n-rescue guys to find me. Or, alternatively, let me sleep through the night so I can ‘self rescue’ the next day.

It may sounds like a lot of stuff but its all quite compact and, other than the Woobie and poncho, the whole thing takes up about as much space as a football. But its those little things that keep small incidents from becoming Big Hairy Deals. Most of it fits into a claymore-sized MOLLE pouch that goes in my pack.

So, once the pack is..uhm..packed, its time to move onto other things. The PTR is still sighted in from last years Bambifest, although Ill take it to the range anyway because, well, why not? Then I’ll dig out the wool pants (and lemme tell ya, wool pants are marvelous outdoor clothing. Not lightweight but if you like to walk slowly and sit for long spells they are the way to keep warm), the layers, the orange hat and vest and get my gear laid out. Oh, need to get the license too. And I’ll be dragging my never-shot-a-deer-before buddy along with is DSA FAL. We’re going to make an interesting pair out in the woods with our evil ‘assault rifles’.

Turns out flammable and inflammable MEAN THE SAME THING!

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Ordered my new Kifaru pack last week. It will, I am given, be here sometime around the end of September. Thats cool since hunting season doesnt open until around November. Last year I used the PTR-91 to bag my Bambi. This year I’m toying with taking out the .44 Contender pistol. We’ll see, I need to go to the range and play with it a bit.

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The missus has been slowly but steadily putting together some gear to start her off in her newly developed interest in backpacking and kayaking. One of the things she wanted was some emergency firestarter. Personally, I use matches. After that I have handheld lifeboat flares. However, I do carry one of these and can recommend them highly. But, as I discovered, while I find it simple to use, the missus has a little coordination problem using it….her natural tendency is to pull away to the sides rather than at the parallel angle of the striker. The result was that she had alarming difficulty using the firestarter. Obviously when your hands are cold and youre in a bit of an excited state is no time to be fiddling with something as important as getting a fire started. So, the next step was a BlastMatch. Designed for one-hand operation, I figured it would be easier for her to use. After playing with it, I gotta say, its a clever idea although I am not entirely convinced as to its durability. However, she seems to be able to work it and thats whats important.

When I taught hunter safety we would always tell the kids to carry some firestarting equipment. Invariably there would be some kids who’d show up with flint and steel. While it does work, matches work alot easier.  Sure, if the matches dont work then you have the flint and steel but why make things harder for yourself than they have to be? Start with the matches, then go to the exotic stuff. I find these steel-n-rod firestarters to be the last resort for getting a fire started in an emergency. If the situation is dire, Im soaking wet and the wind has picked up you can bet I’ll use whatever Ive got that will cause an instant fire. Way I figure it, if things are bad enough I need a fire, things are bad enough that Ive probably only got a minute or two until my hands are shaking and useless…so I want fire and I want it now. Matches, cigarette lighter, steel wool and a battery, thermite grenade, whatever….burn, baby, burn.

I tend to go a little overboard in this department…during hunting season I carry matches in my pocket, matches in my pack, a flare or two, firesteel, fuel cubes, and some tinder. Why the overkill? Well, theres one thing that works in almost every survival situation in the woods and thats to build a fire. Make  a nice campfire, gather wood, get comfy and sit your wandering butt down and wait for someone to find you. Fire keeps you warm (and hypothermia will kill far more people in the outdoors than anything else), keeps you rooted to an area, and makes you visible. Fire good. Also, interestingly, sitting at the fire for a while calms you down and lets you get a clear head so you can think and possibly ‘self rescue’ if you’ve just gotta do it on your own.

As I said, when Im out in the boonies theres matches in my pocket and in my pack. Why? Because you never know when youre going to lose your gear or otherwise be left with just whatever is in your pockets.  This doesnt just go for matches either…I keep compass, matches and a knife on my person at all times while hunting AND in the pack as well. Cheap insurance.

Hunting, Stone Soup

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By the way, one of the things I was wondering about this hunting season was whether the last six months of CrossFit would make a difference in my performance (actual or perceived) during this hunting season. The answer is ‘yes it did’. I got less winded and when I did get winded it didn’t bring me to a halt..I simply sucked it up and kept going because I knew from previous experience at CrossFit that I could. And while dragging animals across non-snowy terrain is never a walk in the park it seemed less taxing this time around. So, yes, the CrossFit experience helped. I was thinking to myself as I was dragging the deer that, based on performance at CrossFit, I know I could throw it over my shoulders and cover one mile with it in about fifteen minutes. But…I would much rather drag it, thank you very much.
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This deer, and I have lost count, is yet another one in a string of “Less than 75 yard” kills. I’ve shot exactly one deer at around 125 yards. Every other deer has been at about 75 yards or less. This is a combination of factors…sometimes I’m just sitting quietly and when I look behind me theres Bambi staring at me, other times I crest a ridge and theres a couple right at the top where they couldn’t see me until I was on top of them, and other times…well…I think theyre just stupid. My point is that while I love the notion of long-range shooting and I have a deep appreciation for the belted magnums and good optics, the naked truth is that my entire hunting career in Montana could quite easily have been handled with an open sighted .30-30. However, since theres no guarantee that the next deer isn’t going to be 250 yards away, I’ll take the advantage that my scoped .308 gives me.

By the by, many folks think that for Montana hunting you need either super flat shooters like .257 Weatherby, .25-06, .270, 7 Mag or .300 Magnums or you need big thumpers like .338 Winchester, .35 Whelen, .375 H&H, or .45-70’s. For eastern Montana, with its flat rolling plains and antelope, yeah, the flat shooters are handy. And in mountainous and timbered western Montana its nice to have the big boomers for elk and bear. But..in my personal opinion, a middle-of-the-road caliber is ideal. Nothing smaller than 7mm and nothing bigger than 9.3mm. The .30-06 is always called the ‘all-around cartridge’ and it probably really would be that versatile in it’s utility. If I had the inclination to add one more cartridge to my logistics table and think of it as ideal for Montana it would be the venerable 7×57 Mauser. Sure, the 7-08 will do the same in a short action, and the .280 will beat it in a standard action, but I’m a bit nostalgic and would like a lovely Mauser in 7×57. I’d use 175 gr. Bullets for the elk and bear and drop down to the 145 gr. For the deer. Pleasant to shoot and plenty powerful. Nothing wrong with the other cartridges, we all have our preferences, but I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the old 7×57.
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As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the official unemployment figures topped 10% for the first time in quite a while. Note that is the official figure, unofficial figures are almost certain to be higher. The official figures do not count people who lost their jobs and then simply gave up looking or moved off of unemployment benefits. Its like tracking homeless people by counting how many show up on the soup line…theres obviously a percentage who don’t show up and are thus uncounted. Same with unemployment. What is the ‘real’ number of unemployed? I have no idea. I see people throwing around figures that are about half again as much, some higher. The term ‘jobless’ recovery is starting to crop up. How can you have a recovery without jobs? Pretty easily, I’d imagine…businesses simply learn to run ‘leaner’ and do more with less. But I don’t think that’s the case here. I think whats going on is simply that people are worried the economy is going to get worse, so they hold off on hiring, purchasing, acquisitions, etc. in order to preserve capital ‘just in case’ and that inactivity makes things worse. Self-fulfilling prophecy. How can .gov break that? Interestingly, I think an out-and-out Orwellian media campaign. Keep talking about ‘recovery’ and ‘growth’ long enough and loud enough and people will start to believe it and, again, you get a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You guys all know the ‘stone soup’ story, right? Buncha soldiers come into a besieged town and decide to cook a meal. They have no food and the locals are in no way inclined to share whatever they have. One of the soldiers sets up a big kettle of water and makes as if he’s about to prepare a huge pot of soup. A curious villager asks what he’s going to make. “Stone soup.”, he replies, dropping a couple large round rocks into the pot. “Its delicious. The tastiest soup you’ve ever had.” The villager, and the others that have started to come around, are, naturally, skeptical. But the soldiers make the motions, bring the huge kettle to a boil, and put in some large rocks…stirring and commenting amongst themselves about how good the soup will be. By now a crowd of villagers has gathered to watch this absurdity. One of the soldiers says that the soup, while good, would be superlative if only it had a little bit of onion. One of the villagers says she might have an onion or two, and comes back with a sack of onions. Into the pot they go. More stirring, more murmuring. The crowd is starting to wonder if maybe there isn’t something to this as the smell of onions wafts from the kettle. After a while another soldier says “It’s a shame we don’t have some potatoes to put in. Those would make this soup truly memorable.” Another villager says he might know where to get some potatoes and comes back with a few pounds. Into the pot. This goes on for a while, every so often a villager returns with something to put in the pot. Hours later the kettle is simmering with onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, meat, spices and all the other ingredients the villagers have added. The soldiers finally pronounce the soup done, pull out the rocks and discard them, and everyone has some of the ‘stone soup’.

To be sure, there are several sinister implications and interpretations to this story but I could see it being a parable for what the .gov thinks is needed for recovery. “This recovery is going to be awesome, but what would really put us on top would be if interest rates were changed.” And a few weeks later “Smell that? This is going to be an excellent recovery. I wish we had some tax changes to add to it. That would make a wonderful addition”. A few weeks later “This is turning into a fantastic recovery. Best we’ve ever had. An extension of the home-purchase credit plan would make it perfect!” And the next thing you know – ‘stone soup’ recovery.

I think you could argue that any economic event is instigated by perception as much as by economic theory. The bank run scene in “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a great example of that. Bailey’s was, in fact, unsound at the time the townies came in clamoring for their deposits. However, by convincing people that it was sound kept it from being blown away, never mind that it really was unsound. To carry the movie analogies even further, perhaps this will be a ‘Field Of Dreams’ recovery – build up the hype that the economy is roaring back to health and the consumer confidence will come.

Regardless, I don’t believe we’re out of the woods yet economically. There are way too many variables and indicators that no one really believes we’re on the train back to Fat City. Sure, there’ll be a recovery…how could there not? But when and what it will look like are still up for grabs.

My opinion, for what its worth, is to stay the course…be careful with your resources, hold off another year on the jet ski, and be prepared to have a ‘deep personal financial crisis’.

Qapla’!

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Well, my deer hunting season is done.

IMG00054-20091103-1149

And, yes, I used the PTR-91 HKlone….why wouldn’t I? Its accurate, hideously reliable, and powerful enough to knock Bambi into the freezer. To be fair, however, at the distance I shot the deer at I could have used a pistol. It didnt even see me and just kept walking towards me. I let it get within, oh, 20 yards at the most, and dropped the hammer.

Three points per side with a little brow tine. Nice little buck. He’ll be made into steaks, a couple small roasts, and burger. I’m kinda glad that my days of getting up at 6am and wandering through the cold woods are over for the year.

Cold weather, recession, hunting, gun show

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Put the Cold Weather Module back into my bag today. Its been rainy and cold the last day or so, and it’s the beginning of October, so it’s probably about time to go ahead and start getting the cold weather gear out.

I’ve posted it before, but since Im too lazy to go link it, here’s whats in the CWM: OD wool scarf, OD polypro neck gaiter, triple-thick forest green knit cap, pair of gloves, pair of military overmitts, pair of military wool mittens, hand warmers. Then, just for giggles, I usually throw in an extra pair of mittens or an extra cap…for the sake of redundancy and in case whomever Im with needs them. The whole thing goes into a zippered cordura pouch that sits in the bottom of my bag. Have I ever needed it? Sure. Times when Ive gone to the range and it got a lot colder than expected, when I was bike riding and the weather changed, that sort of thing. What I really need to do is vacuum seal the individual components to reduce space and protect them. Maybe I’ll do that later today.

I also take one of the fabulous flectar parka/liner combos and roll it into a ball, stuff it into its own hood, and tuck it behind the seat of the truck. Cheap insurance against getting caught in something. Come to think of it, theres also an old down comforter stuffed into a pillowcase back there as well. Its not paranoia, and it isn’t overkill…its just simple fact: you get stuck in your car in the winter, you die.
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So we’ve been in this recession now for, what?, a year..two? How have we been faring? Well, all things considered, not bad. I believe the missus’ retirement investments may have taken a hit but otherwise we’re doing okay. We wouldn’t be doing okay if she lost her job, but hers is a pretty secure career. More importantly, though, we aren’t carrying a huge mortgage (we do have a mortgage but its pretty small), no car loan (truck is paid for), no credit card debt (we don’t use ‘em), no student loan debt, and although we do have a few luxuries (WarCraft accounts, cell phones) that’s pretty much the extent of our decadence. We don’t buy a new vehicle every four years, we don’t but ATV’s or jet skis, we don’t spend huge amounts on entertainment, we just generally live within our means. Is there anything wrong with buying a new car every four years, buying a jet ski, or eating out three nights a week? Absolutely not…if you can afford it.

So, from our point of view, we’re doing okay. We’re pretty secure in being able to keep a roof over our heads, we’ve plenty of food, we have breathing room with very few bills to worry about, we have some money in the bank and, most importantly, we have the attitude that the way we live right now is the right way for us…with careful spending, thoughtful planning, and never feeling that we’re living a life of denial and deprivation. We may not emerge from the recession (or depression) better than when we went in, but we will almost certainly not come out very much worse.

The moral here, I suppose, is that preparedness isnt just about zombie apocalypses and hurricanes…its also about being prepared for the unsexy and undramatic stuff…like recessions and high unemployment. If we didn’t have the preparedness mindset we might be in the same situation as many other folks…overstretched, overextended and over a barrel. But we think about the future and the ‘what ifs’ and as a result, we’re doing okay.
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Big game gun season opens here in a few weeks. I’m thinking I’ll use the Win 70 6.5×55 this year. Its relatively light, the cartridge is good for deer, and its got a decent piece of glass on it. I’m hoping that the last six months of CrossFit will have a positive effect on my ability to carry a pack and rifle up and down the hills. I came into the Model 70 Featherweight in 6.5×55 from a buddy who passed away. It was one of very few guns out of his collection that I actually found useful. I’ve thought about swapping it out for something in .308 (which would make my logistics easier) but I’ve plenty of ammo and components for the 6.5 and I really only plan on using it during hunting season so I suppose it won’t hurt to keep it around. Plus, the missus shot her first deer with it and I think that’s given her a sense of ownership of it. Fair enough, I’m always in support of her owning more guns.
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There was a gun show at the fairgrounds this weekend. Most mag prices are down and availability seems good. Ammo and component pricing and availability, however, are still out in uncharted country. While some components were available, many more were not and what was available was pretty pricey. Cheapest primers I saw were $25/k which is down from $40/k a few months back.

Didn’t really see anything I wanted (except for a lovely old 8mmMauser with set-triggers, claw mount scope and rings, German post scope, and express sights for $400…a damn tempting rifle except I’d prefer it in 7×57, not 8.)

I did finally pick up some military extreme cold weather boots…referred to as ‘bunny boots’ or ‘Mickey Mouse’ boots, these boots are about as insulative as you can get when it comes to footwear. Wouldn’t wanna have to walk far in them, but if I had to stand around in the wet and ice these babies will help me keep all my toes attached. The guy had to go home to get them, but he did indeed have a pair in 10W and 10R. I tried the R and while it was comfy, I got the W becayse, dammit, I have wide feet and you add a couple layers of socks and youre gonna need that W.

Hunting

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Another glorious hunting season in Montana.

This was the first deer/elk hunt for the girlfriend. As you know, she’s no stranger to firearms and is an excellent shot. Nonetheless, theres a diference between shooting off a nice stable bench and shooting hurriedly from an offhand position while carrying a pack and breathing heavy. So….dropped a Leupold 3-9x onto a featherwight Model 70 in 6.5×55, grabbed some 140 gr. PSP, a few life-sized targets and headed to the range. The targets I used were an instructional aid from my days teaching hunter safety. It was a half-scale deer silhouette with the vital organs and skeletal structure overlaid on it. So we set it up at 100 yards and did some sighting in. After the gun was sighted in it was “okay, now shoot the deer target, aim for the vitals”. She did and shot well. Okay, good to go.

So we packed up our gear, got out the firestarters, warm hats and all that other stuff and went to bed with the intention of waking up in the morning at oh-dark-thirty and see if we couldnt reinforce our position on the food chain.

Drove out to the huting area (about 40 minutes from here), got out of the truck, geared up and started walking. Since the girlfriend was unfamiliar with the area I wanted to stay within earshot of the highway. We went back approx .4 miles (thats right, less than half a mile) and found ourselves a nice big rock to sit down and lean against. We sat there about fifteen minutes looking around and just killing time. And you know how it is with deer…you dont actually see deer, you see something move and -surprise- its a deer. So Im looking around and theres a spot of movement. Its a deer, his whole body hidden behind a rock with only his head visible, looking right at us. Range? Oh..about 40 yards, tops. “Theres a deer over there. Slowly pick up your rifle.” I said. The girlfriend slowly picked up her Model 70 and swung the safety off. “Ok, Im not going to shoot, Im just going to glass him.” I said as I flipped the scope covers. I figured it was a doe since thats the kind of luck I have…hmmm, theres horns. Game on! He’s behind a rock so I asked “Do you have a shot?”, “Just his head.” Well, cant shoot through rocks so…. “Okay, he’s gonna start to move. Be ready.” Sure enough the deer turned, classic broadside (the fool!) and starts walking down hill. Now, I needed him to get out from behind the rock but I didnt want him moveing for the shot. Once he cleared the rock I said “Get ready.” and whistled. The deer, being a deer, stopped at the noise and took a step or two forward. “Whenever youre ready.”, I said. BAM! The deer jumped up and took about three bounds before he started weaving and staggering. This is good, I thought, its a good hit he wont get far. He ran another twenty yards or so and leaped over a log and crumpled on the other side. I laid down my rifle, pulled my .45 and ran after him. I got up there and he was dying but dying is a long way from being dead. I was going to pop hime with the .45 but figured it was the girlfriends deer she should have the full experience. I called for her to hurry down here and give Bambi the coup de grace. The little NAA minigun came out and she put a couple rounds into the brainpan just to make sure. After that, the real work started. Being an optimist, I carry one of those little game hoists in my bag. We strung that up, hooked up our new protein source and got all Hannibal Lecter on his ass. Postmortem shows bullet entered right behind the shoulder in the classic ‘boiler room’ shot. Lungs? Shredded. Heart? 1/3 of it blown away. Deer was dead before he hit the ground, he just didnt know it. Couldnt do much better. Got him dressed out and then the real fun…dragging the dead weight back to the truck. I got him 95% of the way there when the fishcop pulled up. Told him my tags were in my backpack which was sitting in the truck but if he’d like to help me drag this thing under the fence and up the embankment to the truck I’d be glad to show them to him. So we got it up to the road, did the dance with the paperwork, and in his opinion the deer was about 2.5 years old and was probably dressing out at aroudn 165#. Not too shabby. Horns were a spike with a few ragged points. 2×1 in our Western count. Three pointer to you eastern dudes.

Gutting and dragging took longer than the actual hunting. We were only out of the truck for about 30-45 minutes before the hammer dropped on Bambi. Shortest hunt Ive ever been on.

So we took the pictures, hauled our new friend to the game processor and said “we’d like the horns if you please. European mount”. And out came the coolest bone saw I have seen outside of a horror movie. It was like a Sawzall on steroids. bzzzt-bzzzt-bzzzt-pop and off came the top of the skull. (Say it with me now – Braaaaiiiiinnnnssss!) The old guy at the counter heard it was her very first deer and saw she was so proud that he waived the deposit and said that when he does his morning hunting radio show on Friday he’ll mention the deer and its weight. So we have a little trophy for the trophy girlfriend and in a week we’ll pick up this winters meat. And we still have my tag to fill.
Oh. You want pics? Okay.


And that, my friend, is how we roll in Western Montana………………